$203M Star Labeled as Top Trade Target For Lakers

Matt Levine | 2 Hours Ago

Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make another push toward another NBA title this year. The team has started the season off well but if they want to truly contend, the front office will likely need to execute a big trade ahead of the Feb. deadline.

Los Angeles has plenty of holes along the roster, mainly in the frontcourt and on the wing. But the team has also been connected to multiple star players as they try to build a more competitive roster.

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Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report put together a list of prime trade targets for each NBA team. For the Lakers, Charlotte Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball was listed.

Ball would present the Lakers with a third star player next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. His play-making skills would fit in well alongside the two stars and he would give them more firepower to contend for a title.

The biggest obstacle with landing Ball would be the history of the star with the team. His brother, Lonzo, was drafted by Los Angeles years ago and the Lakers then traded him.

His father, LaVar, has consistently gone against the Lakers organization for trading Lonzo. But LaMelo could always not care and want to play for his hometown squad.

LaMelo would fit in well and could help the Lakers have a post-James era star duo with Davis. For the year, LaMelo has averaged 31.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for the Hornets.

Getting a player like LaMelo would take a lot of pressure off James to run the offense. The guard can also get his own shot on the offensive end of the floor, something Los Angeles has been lacking from their players.

The trio of LaMelo, Davis, and James would be one of the best in the NBA and it would put the Lakers directly into the spotlight of title contenders. It would cost a lot for Los Angeles to land LaMelo from Charlotte but he is the kind of player that the team would sell the farm for.

LaMelo is only 23 years old so he still has a lot of basketball left to go. This is just one way for the Lakers to improve but if he were to become available, Los Angeles should look to strike.

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